Spanish PM Sanchez Visits Algeria to Deepen Strained Bilateral Ties

By Al Mayadeen English

20 Jul 2026 22:59

The trip marks the highest-level political engagement between Madrid and Algiers since the two countries rebuilt ties following a bitter dispute over Western Sahara.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Algeria on Monday for an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations after years of diplomatic strain.

Sanchez was welcomed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune in an official ceremony at the El Mouradia Palace in Algiers, according to an Algerian presidency statement. He was received with military honors before holding talks with Tebboune at the presidential palace.

A statement from Algeria's Prime Minister's Office said the visit reflects "the shared commitment of the Algerian and Spanish leaderships to strengthen bilateral cooperation and broaden areas of joint action in a way that serves the interests of both countries." It added that the visit would allow both sides to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Years of tension over Western Sahara

The trip marks the highest-level political engagement between Madrid and Algiers since the two countries rebuilt ties following a bitter dispute over Western Sahara.

Algeria suspended its decades-old friendship treaty with Spain in 2022 and froze much of bilateral trade after Madrid backed Morocco's autonomy plan for the territory, a shift Algiers saw as a betrayal given its longstanding support for the Polisario Front's push for Sahrawi self-determination.

Relations only began thawing last year, and in March, Algeria formally reactivated the treaty, though Spain has not reversed its position on Western Sahara.

Gas, trade drive renewed cooperation

Economic and energy interests have driven much of the renewed cooperation. Algeria is one of Spain's principal gas suppliers, and the two countries have moved to boost flows through the Medgaz undersea pipeline, a key artery for Spanish energy security since Rabat curtailed transit through Morocco.

Algiers has also lifted the trade restrictions imposed in 2022, and bilateral trade rebounded sharply, reaching roughly 8.5 billion euros last year as Spanish exports to Algeria reportedly tripled.

Sanchez's delegation includes Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares along with executives from major Spanish energy firms, underscoring how central hydrocarbons remain to the relationship even as officials frame the visit around broader themes of friendship and cooperation.

Beyond energy, the agenda is expected to touch on migration management and security cooperation in the Mediterranean and Sahel.

The visit is Sanchez's second to Algeria since taking office in 2018, following an earlier trip in 2022, and comes as Spain looks to lock in a durable normalization that serves its energy and trade interests without reopening the unresolved Western Sahara dispute.